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Trunks and branches of trees withstand stresses through load-adaptive growth. Maintain physical integrity --> Manage structural forces --> Manage tension --> Lightweighting: Scots pine |
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Anchors of bull kelp protect it from torque by being flexible. Manage physical integrity --> Manage structural forces --> Mechanical wear --> Flexible anchors: bull kelp |
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Delisea pulchra protects itself from bacterial infection by exuding compounds that inhibit biofilms. Maintain physical integrity --> Protect from biotic factors --> Protect from microbes --> Furanones: red alga |
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Photosynthesis in plants converts solar energy to chemical energy by splitting water to release hydrogen. Get, store, or distribute resources --> Capture, absorb, or filter --> Capture energy --> Photosynthesis: Cooke's koki'o |
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Wings of Morpho butterflies create color by diffracting and scattering light. Modify --> Modify physical state --> Modify light/color --> Wing scale architecture: Morpho butterflies |
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Grooves on spikes of thorny devil lizard provide drinking water by drawing condensed dew to mouth by capillary action. Get, store, or distribute resources --> Capture, absorb, or filter --> Capture water --> Capillary action: thorny devil |
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Wing surface of Morpho butterfly sheds water and dirt via hydrophobic microstructure. Maintain physical integrity --> Protect from abiotic factors --> Protect from dirt/solids --> Hydrophobic microstructure: Morpho butterfly |
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Leaves of the sacred lotus are self-cleaning thanks to nanoscale bumps. Maintain physical integrity --> Protect from abiotic factors --> Protect from dirt/solids --> Nanoscale bumps: sacred lotus |
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Mounds of macrotermitine termites maintain homeostasis through tunnels, chimneys, and use of wind creating pressure fields. Get, store, or distribute resources --> Distribute --> Gases --> Pressure field: mound-building termites |
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Eyes of nocturnal moths are anti-reflective due to nanoscale protrusions. Maintain physical integrity --> Protect from biotic factors --> Protect from animals Nanoscale protrusions: elephant hawk-moth |
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Toucan beaks are built lightweight and strong thanks to a rigid foamy inside and layers of fibrous keratin tile outside. Maintain physical integrity --> Manage structural forces --> Manage impact --> Keratin tiles layered over rigid foam: toco toucan |
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A metacarpal bone of a horse avoids structural weakness caused by a hole via stress-dispersing microstructure. Get, store, or distribute resources --> Distribute --> Energy --> Stress-dispersing bone microstructure: horse |
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Skin of earthworms repels soil adhesion with a thin water film, created by electro-osmotic flow. Maintain physical integrity --> Protect from abiotic factors --> Protect from dirt/solids --> Electro-osmotic flow: common earthworm |
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Byssus threads of the blue mussel attach to a wet, solid surface due to
catechols on adhesive proteins that overcome the surface’s affinity for
water molecules. Move or stay put --> Attach --> Permanently --> Catechols on adhesive proteins: blue mussel |
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The skin of cuttlefish changes color rapidly, in order to evade predators, using elastic pigment sacs called chromatophores. Maintain physical integrity --> Protect from biotic factors --> Protect from animals --> Chromatophores: cuttlefish |
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The stems of many plants may resist buckling by including transverse bulkheads that prevent ovalization. Maintain physical integrity --> Prevent structural failure --> Prevent buckling --> Transverse bulkheads: bamboo |
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Leaves on a forest floor create aesthetically seamless surfaces by exhibiting organized chaos. Maintain community --> Provide ecosystem services --> Maintain biodiversity --> Organized chaos: forest floor |
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The flippers of the humpback whale channel flow and increase aerodynamic efficiency due to tubercles or bumps. Move or stay put --> Move in/on --> Liquids --> Bumps: humpback whale |
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The soil ecosystem supports plant growth through interactions of
millions of organisms that work together to break down chemicals and
aerate the soil. Break down --> Physically break down --> Biotic minerals --> Community of organisms: soil ecosystem |
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The circulatory system of humans prevents blood loss from wounds by sending platelets to block the hole. Maintain physical integrity --> Protect from abiotic factors --> Protect from loss of liquids --> Platelets: humans |
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Honeybees in a colony select a new hive location via range voting. Maintain community --> Cooperate and compete --> Within the same species --> Range voting: honeybees |
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Down feathers of geese insulate through special architecture. Maintain physical integrity --> Manage structural forces --> Manage extreme temperature --> Special architecture: Canada goose |
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Seaside arrowgrass facilitates plant diversity in salt marshes by creating elevated rings with its rhizomes. Maintain community --> Provide ecosystem services --> Maintain biodiversity --> Elevated rings: seaside arrowgrass |
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Tails of bluefin tuna conserve energy by using thunniform swimming. Move or stay put --> Move in/on --> Liquids --> Thunniform propulsion: bluefin tuna |
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